Reality television has quickly become a mainstay in American pop culture. In only a few short years, the American television scene has shifted from the traditional sitcom to a vast multi-topic world of contrived reality. Shows like Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother, American Idol, Real World, and The Bachelor, just to name a select few, have all brought a new meaning to “Must See TV.”

Popularity among shows such as these continues to soar even as skepticism begins to mount. In the most recent season of Amazing Race, a show where teams compete in a race around the world for $1 million, the ability to secure airline tickets at various airports around the world is a key factor in being a competitive team.

During the final episode of the season, Chip and Kim, a married couple from California, were able to purchase tickets back to the final destination in the United States. Meanwhile, the two other remaining teams could not find tickets on a flight leaving 10 minutes later after being told the flight was overbooked and there was no chance of them getting on it.

With little hope remaining, the teams all but gave up on any chance of beating Chip and Kim when four tickets on the exact flight they needed to catch up mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. Is this a case of simple coincidence, or did the producers of Amazing Race buy tickets ahead of time for the teams in order to create a dramatic finish?

“I believe it is possible that the show is rigged to create drama,” said Brad Gallaher, a senior Communications major. “The way a show is edited can cause situations to be blown out of proportion.”

Bradley Mayse, another senior Communications major said, “I believe reality shows are funnier and more dramatic than sitcoms in some ways, but they are slowly running their course.”

Reality TV, real or not, has hooked countless viewers in their story plots, perhaps even more than the traditional daytime soap. In the end, the reality of it all is that we, the viewers, love to watch other ordinary people’s joys and pitfalls so that we can escape our own “reality,” if only for an hour.